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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28727892">Love Is On the Way</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darthelwig/pseuds/Darthelwig'>Darthelwig</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, Human Vision (Marvel), Love at First Sight, Vision as Victor Shade</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:01:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,930</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28727892</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darthelwig/pseuds/Darthelwig</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Victor Shade has the perfect life, according to absolutely everyone, but he's desperately unhappy... until he meets a woman who changes everything. Wanda Maximoff might be the best thing that's ever happened to him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Wanda Maximoff/Vision</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Love Is On the Way</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherMarvelGirl/gifts">JustAnotherMarvelGirl</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I was trying to finish this before WandaVision premieres, but that's not gonna happen. Life gets in the way. I do want to share this, though, so I've now officially started another WIP. lol. </p>
<p>The rating is gonna be earned, but it's starting tame. Don't worry. We'll get there!</p>
<p>Special thank you to JustAnotherMarvelGirl for always encouraging me and never letting me be down on myself. You're a great friend, a  great person, and such a talented writer. This one is for you.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Love Is On the Way”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chapter One</p>
<p> </p>
<p>By darthelwig</p>
<p> </p>
<p>++++</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Victor sipped from his flute of champagne and gave a desultory glance around the room. <em>What am I even doing here?</em></p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>“Penny for your thoughts, brother, or are they not worth even that much?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With a sigh, Victor turned to face his half-brother, already hating the smug grin that seemed to be a permanent fixture on Simon’s face. “I’m bored,” he told him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You wouldn’t be so bored if you came out of your shell a little bit and mingled instead of hiding in the corner holding up the wall. There have to be women here who’d be interested in you, I’m sure. We might just have to look a little harder,” Simon laughed. Victor grimaced.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Very amusing,” he said. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m sure there’s a wall somewhere in need of my services.” Simon’s bellowing laugh followed him as Victor turned on his heel and walked away. He tried to swallow down his anger, but he could barely breathe, the entire room closing around him, smothering and loud, too loud.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He couldn’t breathe until he finally stumbled out the doors into the cool city air. The lights and sounds revived him, and he took deep, gasping breaths as the tension slowly ebbed. He yanked his ridiculous bow tie until it was left hanging loosely around his neck and just started walking. He didn’t care where he went. What did it matter? Probably no one even realized that he’d gone. No one but Simon, and Simon hated him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So fuck it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He’d covered a number of blocks by the time his frantic energy began to wane and the adrenaline wore off. He felt wrung out, exhausted, and he finally took a moment to really take in his surroundings.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was in a neighborhood he’d never been in before, but that wasn’t really surprising. He didn’t often have the opportunity to explore the city. There wasn’t much around that was open except for a liquor store and a small diner. He headed for the diner in hopes of some decent coffee.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Victor walked in and slid into an empty booth. The other diners were talking, laughing, living lives with people who obviously cared about them. Jealousy and loneliness curdled in his gut until he thought he might be sick.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What can I get you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The voice startled him from his thoughts, and Victor realized he’d had his hands clenched into fists in his lap. He forced himself to relax and focus on speaking like a normal person not headed for a mental breakdown.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Uh, coffee, I think,” he said as he looked up into the most beautiful green eyes he’d ever seen. Victor had known many attractive women in his life, watched most of them fall into Simon’s bed, but the woman standing before him with order pad in hand eclipsed them all, and he had to stop himself from gaping like a fool.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You think?” she asked, perfect lips twitching up into a smile.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Coffee, please,” he said more certainly, giving her a shy smile in return. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Coming right up.” She gave him a wink as she turned away, and Victor couldn’t help the way his breath caught at the sight. He watched her check on other tables as she went, giving a smile and sometimes a quick word to people she was obviously comfortable with. The regulars, Victor guessed, and he felt a quick stab of jealousy that he tried to push away. Instead, he focused on her grace as she moved between tables, and the way her hips swayed that set a fire burning in his gut.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He forced himself to look away, stared at his hands instead. This young lady was being nice to him and he refused to be like Simon, refused to see her as a sexual object. She deserved better than that from him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Here you go.” Her voice startled him from his downward spiral yet again. God, he really needed to get a grip. She poured his coffee with practiced efficiency as she looked at him. “Are you okay?” she asked. “Do you need anything else?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Her concern was touching, really, but he shook his head and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, thank you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ll check on you in a bit,” she told him, smiling warmly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Victor focused himself on his coffee, adding a bit of creamer and some sweetener, stirring slowly. Going through the motions calmed him a bit, let some of the tension ease from his shoulders and neck. It was soothing, easy, steps he knew and could repeat perfectly. He took a sip, which was surprisingly good, and let the warmth soothe him further.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He closed his eyes, took a deep, steadying breath in, slowly exhaled and tried to do as his therapist had told him and envision the tension leaving his body as he breathed. Part of him couldn’t help but wonder if he looked as ridiculous as he felt, self consciousness rearing it’s ugly head, and he gave up the effort. A quick glance around told him none of the other patrons were paying any attention to him, and he sighed in frustration at his own ridiculousness.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A soft brush of fingers over his shoulder was all the warning he got before the waitress was sitting down across from him, instantly commanding his attention.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you supposed to be sitting with me?” he asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I won’t tell if you don’t,” she replied, mischievous grin making her look absolutely radiant. “Besides, I’m taking a break. I can do what I want.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You want... to be here?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I want to talk to you,” she said simply.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh. Alright, then.” God, he didn’t mean to sound rude, he really didn’t. Why couldn’t he be more like Simon, so suave and confident?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She just laughed, though, and didn’t seem put off by his demeanor at all.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You just look like you could use someone to talk to,” she said more soberly. “I know what that’s like.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I...” He started to deny it, but then stopped short. She was looking at him with such kind eyes, taking time out of her undoubtedly busy shift to talk to him, and Victor found himself unable to utter the lie. “It has not been a good night,” he said instead.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Tell me,” she said, reaching out to cover his hand with her own. A gesture of comfort, and her hand was so soft and warm, and no one had touched him with kindness in so long... The floodgates opened and he found himself telling her everything- how Simon had always been the golden child, how he’d always felt lesser, how he hated the way Simon treated him, and how empty everything felt when you knew people only wanted to be around you because of what you could do for them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And through it all, she held his hand. She didn’t comment when he angrily brushed away his tears, didn’t back away when he perhaps squeezed her slim fingers a bit too tightly. He poured his heart out and she stayed, a rock against his turbulent emotions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He didn’t realize how long he’d been talking until he stopped to take a drink of his now cold coffee and saw how empty the diner had become. It was noticeably later, the whole place quieter now, nearly empty, and he was horrified.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ve taken so much of your time. I’m so sorry.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Don’t worry about it. My boss is cool, and you needed someone to talk to. Wait here.” He tried not to look as she got up and smoothed her skirt down. He really did.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She put a glass of water in front of him. “Drink,” she ordered. “It’ll help.” He obeyed, if only to avoid having to say anything else. He felt awkward now, unsure of what should happen next. “Do you feel any better?” she asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Victor took a minute to take stock of himself and realized the tight, heavy feeling in his chest had disappeared. He looked up at her in amazement. “I... I do.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Good,” she said, and the brightness of her smile dazzled him for a moment. Probably too long. She was about to turn away and he couldn’t let that happen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t even know your name,” he said quickly. “My name is Victor,” he offered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m Wanda.” She held out her hand but instead of shaking it he brought it to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. When he looked up again she was blushing. “You’re quite the charmer.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He had to laugh at that. “If only,” he said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’ve charmed me,” she told him. She traced her fingers along his jaw. “And you’re quite the vision.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?” he asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Maybe. But I beat you to it,” she laughed. “If you feel like sticking around, my shift ends in about an hour. You could walk me home.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“There is nowhere else I’d rather be,” he said honestly. She blushed again but she was smiling and she looked pleased.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He sipped coffee for the next hour or so while she finished up her shift, then tipped her a ridiculous amount that had her eyebrows raised.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“For your kindness,” he told her, and she didn’t argue.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The walk to her apartment was cold, but not unbearably so. Or maybe it was that having her so close made him warm. He was very aware of her presence next to him. He didn’t know what to say, so he listened as she told him about her life as a waitress, how the tips could be good one day and shit the next but her boss Steve was a good man, how she really wanted to go to school but there just wasn’t enough time or money for that. He listened while she talked about her overprotective brother and wished Simon had shown half the care to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It all sounds marvelous,” he told her and she laughed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess it is. Though a life of glitz and glam sounds pretty fun too.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ve never found it to be so,” he replied. “I think the time I’ve spent with you this evening is the most fun I’ve ever had, even if I did spend half the night crying my sob story to you.” It was embarrassing how much he’d broken down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Consider it getting to know each other,” she said, taking his hand and pulling him to a stop. “This is me.” She gestured at the building. “Thank you for walking me home.” She was still holding his hand, and he had to force his attention off the way her small hand fit into his.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Uh, it was my pleasure,” he managed to say. Her eyes were sparkling with mirth, and she moved closer slowly until she could brace her hands on his chest and lean up to place a kiss on his cheek. He gasped at the sensation of her lips and suddenly his senses were flooded by the smell of her, the sweetness of her hair, the scent of coffee that clung to her skin, and underneath all that a smell that was just<em> her.</em> He was dizzy on it, on her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Goodnight,” she said, pulling away. “If you’d like, come see me again.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I would definitely like that,” he said in one breathless rush, making her giggle. She nodded and entered the building and he stood there for a minute afterwards just committing the moment to memory.</p>
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